Raport Anual Baylor 2019 Baylor Annual Report 2019 EN | Page 22

PROFESSIONAL SERVICES: Since 2001, We Take Care of People Living with HIV/AIDS Outreach HIV Care, Medical Treatment and Social Work Connect. Monitor. Care. We make regular home visits to HIV/AIDS beneficiaries, with their consent across Constanța county because these lead to improved chronic disease management and better communication between patients and their healthcare providers. Baylor’s home visits are key ingredients for: • improving socially vulnerable patients’ adherence to treatment, • ensuring good living conditions and adequate care for children exposed to HIV (born to women living with HIV), and • protecting vulnerable patients from abuse and negligence. “We encourage people living with HIV to take control of their lives and make better healthcare decisions. Checking up on beneficiaries at their homes gives us a better view of the challenges they face, allowing us to pinpoint issues for which we can provide solutions through medical, psychological, or social care services. The home visits our medical and psychosocial joint team perform give us a clearer picture and improve the relationship the beneficiary has with their long-term care provider.” - Maria Cristina Patraşcu, GP “Home visits allow us to flatten certain disparities with respect to accessing services. At the same time, we establish and develop trust and provide accurate information. It is not always easy for beneficiaries to understand their personal risk for HIV and comorbidities and to identify the preventive steps to reduce risk. We go meet them and help them to do just that.” - Florence Niculaie, LMSW PROFESSIONAL SERVICES The Baylor Friday Dance Lesson & Fun Elena Rizea is a dedicated clinical psychologist and a member of the psycho- social department. What she does each Friday differs a lot from the rest of her work routine. Rizea volunteers by offering dance lessons for children, teens, and young adults living with HIV, all of whom are enthusiastic about the classes. Classes take place at the neighboring Casa Speranța, run by the Morning Glory Foundation. For many of the participants, aside from just having fun, the dance classes provide an opportunity to expand their knowledge and discover their physical potential. These activities facilitate learning in a less structured way. It is a positive experience. “Music and dance stimulate them in new ways. Dancing is known to be a great way to engage in a pleasant, physical activity, so this was the starting point. In these lessons we use music to move our bodies, work on our coordination and posture, we challenge our memory by learning sequences of steps and movements, and we build up our self-esteem. I admire how every participant is so determined to improve themselves and be better every time, and, despite being of different ages, they have learned to work as a team. We truly enjoy our time together, and it’s touching to see how a little music can bring a change.” - Elena Rizea, clinical psychologist Art Therapy for Youths Living with HIV/AIDS Baylor Black Sea Foundation provides integrated care for mentally or physically challenged young adults coming from the child protection system. Paper art began as an inexpensive complementary therapy, but it became a productive and successful occupation for some of them. They produce and continuously refine their paper art pieces, and beyond that, this occupation contributes to psycho-social stability, improved self-esteem, confidence, and quality of life. “I am happy to arrange small exhibitions with paper art products created by the young adults in our care. It gives me great satisfaction to see them enjoy success. The positive results of art therapy in young PLWHA has been established for decades. We worked with the group in our care to help them learn to perceive and express themselves and their emotions.” - Elena Costi, psycho-pedagogist 22 23